14 August
Settled!
Mid August
Natalie Allan (Terra Prima Sustainable Designs) was approached to help us make our rough drawings reality. We provided Natalie with as much information as we could – some sample floor layouts, our wish list and design criteria, photos of ideas we liked, cross references to websites and books. Site survey provided a detailed layout of the land including boundaries, dimensions, levels, the location of services, and the location of adjoining buildings.
Mid September
Council required that we apply for a Flood Information Certification, which resulted in a condition of consent of a final floor level of 2.4m AHD (Australian Height Datum). This meant we had to raise the house on piers, rather than build split level with slab on ground, as first intended.
Mid October
A geotechnical report was commissioned, consisting of a combination of visual assessment along with drilling and sampling to a depth of 2m. Based on this, the site was classified as Class A (sand or rock site), having little to no movement.
19 December
Plans submitted to council.
See The Owner Builder 155 October/November 2009 to 157 February/March 2010 for more information on these stages.
TOB 155 Oct/Nov 2009 Building Diary
TOB 156 Dec 2009/Jan 2010 Building Diary
The Owner Builder magazine 